HK1072581B - Liquid container - Google Patents

Description

Liquid container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a liquid container.

Background

The liquid ejecting apparatus ejects liquid, which is drawn from a liquid container containing liquid therein, from a liquid ejecting head and discharges the liquid to a target facing the liquid ejecting head. Such a liquid ejecting apparatus is, for example, an ink jet type recording apparatus. An ink jet recording apparatus mounts a recording head as a liquid ejecting head on a carriage that reciprocates, and supplies ink from an ink cartridge as a liquid container to the recording head. Then, the recording head discharges ink as liquid to a target sheet or the like to perform printing.

Among such ink jet recording apparatuses, there are the following recording apparatuses: that is, the recording apparatus employs a structure in which an ink cartridge is not mounted on a carriage (so-called off-carriage type) in order to reduce the load on the carriage or to make the apparatus small and thin (see, for example, patent document 1). The ink cartridge is detachably provided in an ink jet recording apparatus and supplies ink to a recording head side via a supply flow path.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2002-1979

However, in a state where the mounted ink cartridge is detached from the ink jet recording apparatus, ink may be retained in a supply flow path or the like between the ink cartridge and the recording head. Therefore, ink accumulated in the supply flow path or the like may leak from the opening of the flow path.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a liquid container capable of opening and closing a liquid flow path of an ink jet recording apparatus according to attachment and detachment of the liquid container.

The liquid container according to the present invention is a liquid container that contains liquid therein and is detachably attached to a liquid ejecting apparatus, wherein the liquid container is provided with a contact surface on a connection surface, the connection surface is provided with a liquid supply port for supplying the liquid to the outside, and the contact surface is brought into contact with a part of a flow path valve provided in the liquid ejecting apparatus to open the flow path valve.

According to the above, the liquid container detachably attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus has the liquid supply port on the connection surface. The connection surface has a contact surface that contacts a part of a flow path valve provided in the liquid ejecting apparatus. The contact surface opens the flow path valve by contacting a part of the flow path valve. Therefore, the flow path provided with the flow path valve can be opened by attaching the liquid container to the liquid ejecting apparatus.

In the liquid container, the liquid container is formed with a plurality of the liquid supply ports, and the contact surface is provided between one of the liquid supply ports and the liquid supply port provided adjacent thereto.

According to the above, the contact surface is provided between one of the liquid lead-out portions and the liquid lead-out portion in the vicinity thereof. That is, since the contact surface is provided between the liquid lead-out portions connected to the liquid ejecting apparatus side, the position of the contact surface can be relatively accurately set when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus. Therefore, the relative position between the contact surface and a part of the flow path valve can be prevented from being displaced, and the reliability of the contact operation between the contact surface and a part of the flow path valve can be improved.

In the liquid container, the liquid supply port is formed in a structure in which a communication portion formed on a side in which the liquid ejecting apparatus is insertable is formed, and the contact surface is a surface perpendicular to a direction in which the communication portion is inserted into the liquid supply port.

According to the above, the contact surface is constituted by a surface perpendicular to the direction in which the communication portion is inserted into the liquid supply port. Therefore, a part of the flow path valve can be reliably brought into contact with the contact surface.

The liquid container of the present invention is a liquid container which contains liquid therein and is detachably attached to a liquid ejecting apparatus, wherein the liquid container has a connection face formed with a liquid supply port into which a communication portion provided on the side of the liquid ejection apparatus is insertable, and, a liquid inlet port is formed at one end side of the connection surface with respect to a position where the liquid supply port is formed, an introduction-side communicating portion provided on a side of the liquid ejecting apparatus is insertable in the liquid introduction port, a contact surface is provided on the other end side of the connection surface so that the liquid supply port is positioned between the introduction port and the contact surface, the contact surface opens the flow path valve by contacting a part of the flow path valve provided in the liquid ejecting apparatus.

According to the above, the liquid container detachably attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus has the liquid supply port on the connection surface. The liquid container has a liquid inlet port on the connection surface on one end side with respect to the liquid supply port. The connection surface has a contact surface that is in contact with a part of a flow path valve provided in the liquid ejecting apparatus, on the opposite side of the liquid introduction port. The contact surface opens the flow path valve by contacting a part of the flow path valve. Therefore, the flow path can be opened by attaching and detaching the liquid container to and from the liquid ejecting apparatus. When the liquid container is inserted into the liquid ejecting apparatus, the communicating portion and the introduction-side communicating portion are inserted into the liquid supply port and the liquid introduction port, respectively, and a part of the flow path valve is brought into contact with a contact surface provided on the opposite side. Therefore, when the liquid container is inserted, the liquid supply port, the liquid introduction port, and the contact surface support each other, and thus, it is possible to prevent a force from being generated in a direction in which the posture of the liquid container is inclined. This prevents unnecessary force from being generated in the communicating portion, the liquid supply port, and the like. That is, a force generated in a direction different from an insertion direction, which is a direction related to a connection surface of the liquid container, is reduced, so that the liquid container can be smoothly connected. Further, as long as the liquid container is inserted in one direction, the connection between the liquid supply port and the liquid introduction port and the communication portion and the introduction-side communication portion, and the opening of the flow path valve can be performed by the same operation.

In the liquid container, the plurality of liquid supply ports are arranged in line on the connection surface, and the liquid introduction port and the contact surface are arranged on both sides of the arranged liquid supply ports.

According to the above, the liquid inlet and the contact surface are disposed on both sides of the liquid supply port. Therefore, when the liquid container is inserted, the liquid inlet is inserted into the inlet-side communicating portion, and a part of the flow path valve is brought into contact with the contact surface provided on the opposite side. Accordingly, when the liquid container is inserted, since the liquid container is supported at least on both sides thereof, it is possible to suppress the generation of a force acting in a direction in which the posture of the liquid container is inclined. Also, useless force can be prevented from being applied to the introduction-side communicating portion.

In the liquid container, the plurality of liquid supply ports are arranged in line on the connection surface, the liquid introduction port is arranged outside the arranged liquid supply ports, and the contact surface is arranged in the vicinity of the liquid supply port on the opposite side of the liquid introduction port.

According to the above, the liquid inlet is disposed outside the liquid supply port. The contact surface is disposed in the vicinity of the liquid supply port on the opposite side of the liquid introduction port. Therefore, when the liquid container is inserted, the liquid inlet is inserted into the inlet-side communicating portion, and a part of the flow path valve is brought into contact with the contact surface provided on the opposite side of the liquid inlet. Therefore, when the liquid container is inserted, the liquid container can be supported at least on the outer side of the liquid supply port and in the vicinity of the liquid supply port, and therefore, the generation of a force acting in a direction in which the posture of the liquid container is inclined can be more reliably suppressed. Also, useless force can be prevented from being applied to the introduction-side communication portion.

In the liquid container, the contact surface and the liquid introduction port are formed at positions where they are at the same height when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus.

According to the above, the contact surface and the liquid introduction port are formed at the positions at the same height when the liquid container is mounted on the side of the liquid ejecting apparatus. Therefore, when the liquid container is inserted, the generation of the force acting in the direction of inclining the posture of the liquid container can be more reliably suppressed. Also, useless force can be prevented from being applied to the introduction-side communication portion.

In the liquid container, a front surface of the liquid supply port or the liquid introduction port protrudes further than the contact surface.

According to the above, since the front surface of the liquid supply port or the liquid introduction port protrudes beyond the contact surface, the liquid container is inserted into the liquid ejecting apparatus prior to the contact surface when the liquid container is attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus. That is, the liquid supply port or the liquid introduction port is inserted into the liquid ejecting apparatus, and the liquid container is positioned, or the fulcrum is formed on the connection surface, thereby stabilizing the posture of the liquid container. Thus, the contact surface can be brought into contact with a part of the flow path valve in a state where the liquid container is stabilized.

In the liquid container, positioning holes are formed on the connection surface for engaging with positioning boss portions provided on the liquid ejecting apparatus, respectively, the positioning holes being formed in the vicinity of the contact surface.

According to the above, the positioning holes for respectively engaging with the positioning boss portions provided on the liquid ejecting apparatus are formed on the connection surface of the liquid container, and the positioning holes are provided in the vicinity of the contact surface. That is, at the time of mounting the liquid container, the positioning of the liquid container is performed by engaging the positioning boss portion with the positioning hole, and therefore, the positioning can be performed accurately.

In the liquid container, a circuit board is provided in the vicinity of the contact surface, the circuit board having a storage device in which information relating to the liquid container is stored. The circuit board is formed with contacts that are connected to terminals provided on the side of the liquid ejecting apparatus when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus.

According to the above, the circuit board having the storage device in which the information on the liquid container is stored is provided in the vicinity of the contact surface of the liquid container, and the circuit board is connected to the terminal provided in the liquid ejecting apparatus. So that information relating to the liquid container can be transmitted to the liquid ejecting apparatus.

In the liquid container, a substrate accommodating portion for accommodating the circuit board is formed on a face intersecting the connection face, the substrate accommodating portion being in an open state on a side of the connection face and a side of a face intersecting the connection face, while the circuit board provided on the substrate accommodating portion is provided with a contact on a side of the face intersecting the connection face.

According to the above, in the liquid container, the substrate accommodating portion is formed in the state of being opened on the side of the connection face and the side of the face intersecting the connection face, while the circuit board provided on the substrate accommodating portion is formed with the contact on the side of the face intersecting the connection face. Therefore, terminals for connecting the contacts are simply inserted from the respective openings and connected to the contacts of the circuit board, so that the circuit board can be easily connected to the terminals on the side of the liquid ejecting apparatus.

In the liquid container, the circuit board is formed so as to be located below the contact surface of the liquid container when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus.

According to the above, when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus, the circuit board is disposed below the liquid container contact surface.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a printer of a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge provided in the printer;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a cover portion of the ink cartridge;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting portion before the ink cartridges are connected;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state where the ink cartridge is mounted to a connection portion;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the connecting portion;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the connecting portion;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a connection part to which the ink cartridge is mounted;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the connecting portion;

fig. 12 is a sectional view of an essential part of the flow path valve provided at the connecting portion;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge of the second embodiment;

fig. 14 is a perspective view of a connecting portion of the second embodiment;

fig. 15 is a main portion perspective view of the connecting portion;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the connecting portion before the ink cartridge is mounted;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of a main portion of a connecting portion to which the ink cartridge is mounted;

fig. 18 is a plan view of a connection portion to which an ink cartridge of another example is mounted.

Detailed Description

(first embodiment)

Next, a first embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 12.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a printer) as a liquid ejecting apparatus. The printer has a printer main body 11 in a case not shown in the drawings, and the printer main body 11 has a frame 12. An ink cartridge accommodating portion 13 is provided in the frame 12, an ink cartridge 14 as a liquid container is detachably provided in the ink cartridge accommodating portion 13, and the ink cartridge 14 accommodates ink as a liquid therein. The ink cartridge 14 supplies ink to a sub-tank 18 mounted on the carriage 16 through a supply flow path 19. The printer is provided with one ink cartridge 14, and the ink cartridge 14 is provided with the same number of supply flow paths 19 and sub tanks 18 as the number of types of ink used in the printer. In the present embodiment, six supply flow paths 19 and six sub tanks 18 are provided, but only one supply flow path 19 and one sub tank 18 are shown in fig. 1 for simplicity.

The bracket 16 is slidably supported by a guide member 15, and the guide member 15 is arranged between the left side plate 12a of the frame 12 and the right side plate 12b of the frame 12. The sub tank 18 loaded on the carriage 16 temporarily stores therein the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 14 to stabilize the supply of the ink to the recording head 17.

The recording head 17 is loaded on the lower surface of the carriage 16. The recording head 17 has a plurality of nozzles, not shown in the drawings, which are open on the lower surface of the recording head 17. The recording head 17 ejects ink droplets as liquid from nozzle openings toward a target sheet not shown in the figure.

Further, a home position for disposing the carriage 16 when the printer main body 11 is in the non-printing state is provided in the frame 12. A head maintenance mechanism 21 is provided at the home position for preventing clogging of the nozzles of the recording head 17. The head maintenance mechanism 21 has an enclosure (cap)22 and a piping pump 24, and the enclosure 22 and the piping pump 24 are connected by a piping 23.

When the printer main body 11 is in a non-printing state, the head maintenance mechanism 21 seals the lower surface of the recording head 17 with the cap 22 to prevent the viscosity of the ink in the nozzles from increasing. In addition, in order to prevent the nozzle from being clogged, suction cleaning (suction cleaning) is performed to forcibly suck ink from the nozzle. In the suction cleaning, in a state where the lower surface of the recording head 17 is sealed by the cap 22, a negative pressure is generated in the cap 22 by driving the pipe pump 24. The ink in the nozzle is then expelled into the enclosure 22 by the negative pressure generated.

The ink discharged into the cap 22 by the suction cleaning is accommodated into a waste ink accommodating portion 27 provided in the ink cartridge 14 through the inside of the duct 23. The waste ink containing section 27 is provided in the ink cartridge 14.

(print cartridge)

Next, the ink cartridge 14 is described in detail. Fig. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the ink cartridge 14, and fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge 14. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the cover portion 26b of the ink cartridge 14.

As shown in fig. 4, the ink cartridge 14 is constituted by a plurality of ink packs 25 as liquid storage bags and a containing box 26 containing these ink packs 25. The ink pack 25 is composed of a bag portion 28 and an ink lead-out member 29. The bag portion 28 is constituted by, for example, thermally fusing four sides of two laminated films formed by, for example, vapor-plating aluminum on a polyethylene film having airtightness. That is, the bag portion 28 is formed by welding three sides of two laminated films overlapped with each other, and welding the remaining one side in a state where the ink lead-out member 29 is disposed to protrude from the center thereof to form a bag shape. The bag portion 28 is filled with ink, which can be led out from the ink lead-out member 29.

The accommodation case 26 is constituted by a case main body 26a having an opening at an upper portion thereof and having an approximately box shape, and a cover portion 26b having an approximately plate shape for covering the opening of the case main body 26 a. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, six support portions 30, the same number as the number of the accommodated ink packs 25, are provided on the front surface 26c as the connecting surface of the accommodation box 26. Each support portion 30 constituting a liquid supply port is formed protruding from the front surface 26c of the containing case 26. These support portions 30 are provided at substantially the center of the front surface 26c of the housing case 26 for supporting the ink lead-out member 29 of each of the ink packs 25. Further, the support portion 30 has a lead-out side insertion hole 30a constituting a liquid supply port.

Further, as shown in fig. 4, of these support portions 30, a lower side support portion 30b constituting a lower half thereof is provided on the cartridge body 26a, and an upper side support portion 30c constituting an upper half thereof is provided on the cover portion 26 b. At the time of assembly, the cap portion 26b is attached in a state where the ink lead-out member 29 of the ink pack 25 is supported by the lower support portion 30b of the cartridge main body 26 a. Then, the ink lead-out member 29 is fixed by engaging the lower side supporting portion 30b and the upper side supporting portion 30 c.

As shown in fig. 2, an introduction-side support portion 31 constituting a liquid introduction port is formed in the front surface 26c of the cartridge main body 26a in the vicinity of the support member 30 formed on the outermost side. The introduction-side support portion 31 is formed to protrude from the front surface 26c at a position closer to the upper surface side of the accommodation box 26 than the support portion 30. In the present embodiment, the introduction-side support portion 31 is provided to be convex near the cover portion 26b on the right side of the support portion 30 formed on the rightmost side. An introduction-side insertion hole 31a constituting a liquid introduction port is formed through the introduction-side support portion 31. The introduction-side insertion hole 31a communicates with the waste ink containing portion 27 provided in the cover portion 26 b.

As shown in fig. 5, the waste ink accommodating portion 27 is provided on the cover portion 26 b. That is, the waste ink containing portion 27 is provided between the cover portion 26b and the sealing film 32 by fixing the four sides of the sealing film 32 to the cover portion 26b by thermal welding. The sealing film 32 is formed with a hole 32a at a corner, and the waste ink containing section 27 communicates with the atmosphere through the hole 32 a. In the thermal welding of the sealing film 32, the waste ink absorbing member 33 is made of a porous material or the like and absorbs ink, and the waste ink absorbing member 33 is sandwiched between the sealing film 32 and the cover portion 26b, and the edge of the sealing film 32 is thermally welded. Further, a communication portion 31b on the cover portion side, which has a flow path communicating with the waste ink containing portion 27, is formed in the cover portion 26 b. When the cover portion 26b is engaged with the cartridge main body 26a, the communication portion 31b on the cover portion side is engaged with the above-described introduction-side support portion 31. Thereby, the waste ink introduced from the introduction-side support portion 31 is introduced into the waste ink containing portion 27 via the flow paths of the introduction-side insertion holes 31a and the communication portion 31b on the cover portion side, and is absorbed by the waste ink absorbing material 33.

Further, a valve is provided inside the communication portion 31b on the cover portion side. The valve is composed of a sealing rubber 31c, a valve body 31d, and a compression spring 31 e. When the valve body 31d is not subjected to the pressure from the outside, the compression spring 31e presses the valve body 31d to the side of the sealing rubber 31c, whereby the valve body 31d is fitted in the sealing rubber 31c, and the communication portion 31b on the side of the cover portion becomes a closed state. When the valve body 31d is pressed toward the cover portion 26b side, the valve body 31d moves toward the cover portion 26b side, separating from the sealing rubber 31 c. Further, the ink can flow into the communication portion 31b on the cover portion side from the gap between the sealing rubber 31c and the valve body 31 d.

Further, as shown in fig. 2, a first fitting hole 34 as a positioning hole is formed on the front surface 26c of the accommodation box 26 at a position closer to the end than the introduction-side support portion 31. In the present embodiment, the first engagement hole 34 is formed at a position on the right side of the introduction-side support portion 31. Further, on the front surface 26c of the accommodation box 26, a second fitting hole 35 as a positioning hole is formed on an end portion of the opposite side to the side where the first fitting hole 34 is formed. In the present embodiment, the second engagement hole 35 is formed at a position separated from the one end of the housing case 26 by a predetermined interval length L.

As shown in fig. 3, a substrate accommodating portion 38 for accommodating the circuit board 37 is formed on the lower surface 26d of the cartridge main body 26a below the second fitting hole 35. The substrate accommodating portion 38 is provided concavely on the lower surface 26d of the cartridge body 26a, and is opened on the lower surface 26d side and the front surface 26c side of the cartridge body 26 a. A circuit board 37 is disposed on the upper surface of the substrate accommodating portion 38.

The circuit board 37 has electrode contacts and a semiconductor memory device (both not shown), which is a memory component capable of reading and writing data. The storage device stores data such as the type of ink, the remaining amount of ink, a serial number, or a validity period.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, a contact surface 36 is provided on the front surface 26c of the accommodation box 26 on the end side of the second engagement hole 35. That is, the contact surface 36 is constituted by a surface having a length L from the second fitting hole 35 to the end of the accommodation box 26. The contact surface 36 is smoothly formed as a surface perpendicular to the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 14 (the direction in which the communicating portion 43 is inserted into the ink lead-out member 29), while having a height equal to the introduction-side support portion 31 when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the cartridge accommodating portion 13. Therefore, the center height of the introduction-side insertion hole 31a is substantially equal to the center height of the contact surface 36 in the X direction in fig. 2.

(connection part 41 and flow path valve 42 provided in connection part 41)

Next, the connection portion 41 connected to the ink cartridge 14 is explained. The connection portion 41 is provided on the cartridge accommodating portion 13 for fixing the front surface 26c of the ink cartridge 14 when the ink cartridge 14 is disposed in the cartridge accommodating portion 13. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the connection portion 41 before the ink cartridge 14 is mounted, and fig. 7 is a perspective view of the connection portion 41 to which the ink cartridge 14 is mounted. Further, fig. 8 is a plan view of the connection portion 41 where the ink cartridge 14 is not mounted, and fig. 9 is a rear view thereof. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the connection portion 41 to which the ink cartridge 14 is mounted, and fig. 11 is a rear view thereof. Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the flow path valve 42 provided in the connecting portion 41.

As shown in fig. 6, the connection portion 41 is formed in an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is provided on the ink cartridge accommodating portion 13 such that a connection surface 41c thereof is opposed to the front surface 26c of the accommodating case 26 when the ink cartridge 14 is inserted into the ink cartridge accommodating portion 13. Further, as shown in fig. 7, in a state where the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the cartridge accommodating section 13, the front surface 26c of the cartridge main body 26a of the ink cartridge 14 is fixed. The connection portion 41 shown in fig. 6 and 7 only shows a main portion, and the illustration of the member inserted into the connection portion 41 is omitted.

At the right end of the connecting portion 41 in fig. 6 and 7, a terminal setting portion 41b is formed. On the terminal setting portion 41b, a terminal mechanism 41d (see fig. 8) is provided. Further, when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted onto the connection portion 41, the terminal setting portion 41b is slid in from the opening of the substrate accommodating portion 38 of the cartridge main body 26a, so that the terminal mechanism 41d is electrically connected to the circuit board 37.

As shown in fig. 6 and 8, in the connecting portion 41, six communicating portions 43 as many as the number of the supporting portions 30 of the ink cartridge 14 are protrusively provided on a connecting surface 41c for fixing the front surface 26c of the housing case 26. The communicating portions 43 are respectively provided at positions corresponding to the positions of the supporting portions 30 when the ink cartridge 14 is fixed to the connecting portion 41, and the tip ends thereof are needle-shaped so as to be insertable into the ink lead-out member 29 via the lead-out side insertion holes 30a of the supporting portions 30. The communication portion 43 has a not-shown outlet hole formed through a surface of a tip end thereof, and the outlet hole is used for discharging ink from the ink cartridge 14 to the outside.

Further, as shown in fig. 8, at both end portions of the communicating portion 43 on the connecting surface 41c of the connecting portion 41, a first protrusion 44a and a second protrusion 44b that can be fitted with the first fitting hole 34 and the second fitting hole 35, respectively, are formed. The positioning of the ink cartridge 14 is performed by fitting the first projection 44a and the second projection 44b as the positioning boss portions to the first fitting hole 34 and the second fitting hole 35, respectively. Further, between the first projection 44a fitted into the first fitting hole 34 and the communication portion 43, an introduction-side communication portion 45 for fitting into the introduction-side support portion 31 is convexly provided. The introduction-side communicating portion 45 is provided at a position corresponding to the introduction-side supporting portion 31, and the tip thereof is formed in a needle shape.

As shown in fig. 9, an ink flow path 46 is formed on a surface of the connecting portion 41 opposite to the connecting surface 41c, and ink led out from the ink cartridge 14 through the communicating portion 43 flows into the ink flow path 46. The ink flow paths 46 are formed in 6 pieces corresponding to the number of kinds of ink. One surface of each ink flow path 46 is in an open state, and an airtight film 55 is bonded by thermal fusion to the side surface opposite to the connection surface 41c, thereby sealing the open surface.

A circular recessed portion 46a is formed at the leading end of the ink flow path 46, and one end of a lead-out hole formed in each communication portion 43 is opened in the bottom surface of the circular recessed portion 46 a. The ink flow path 46 extending from the circular recessed portion 46a extends along the length direction of the connecting portion 41 and converges at the end of the connecting portion 41. The ink flow path 46 is curved at its end toward the connection surface 41c, and is open at the upper end surface of each lead-out portion 39 (see fig. 12) formed on the connection surface 41c side. Therefore, the ink flowing in from each communication portion 43 is led out to the outside from each corresponding lead-out portion 39 via each ink flow path 46. The lead-out portions 39 are formed in 6 numbers corresponding to the respective ink flow paths 46, and the respective lead-out portions 39 communicate with the respective sub tanks 18 via the respective supply flow paths 19.

As shown in fig. 12, the ink flow path 46 is provided with a flow path valve 42 in a flow path from a position bent toward the connection surface 41c side to the lead-out portion 39. The flow path valves 42 are provided one for each ink flow path 46.

As shown in fig. 12, the flow path valve 42 has a flow path forming member 50, a seal portion 51, a movable member 52, and a support member 53, respectively. The flow path forming member 50 is made of resin such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or the like, and is disposed in the connecting portion 41. The flow path forming member 50 is formed with a small-diameter hole 50a and a large-diameter hole 50b, and these small-diameter hole 50a and large-diameter hole 50b constitute the ink flow path 46 and the lead-out portion 39. A small-diameter hole 50a is formed through the lead-out portion 39. A cylindrical support member 53 is press-fitted into the large-diameter hole 50b along the wall surface, and the base end portion of the movable member 52 is inserted into the support member 53 so as to be movable back and forth. The movable member 52 is a magnet, which is formed in a bar shape and has a flange 52a on the outer peripheral surface.

A seal portion 51 is fitted on the side of the tip end more than the flange 52 a. The seal portion 51 is formed of a flexible material such as elastomer, CR rubber, silicone rubber, NBR, etc., and has a circular ring-shaped convex portion formed on one side surface. The projecting portion is formed to have a shape with a tapered upper end edge, and is easily pressed in at the time of crimping. The seal portion 51 is disposed so that the convex portion faces the small-diameter hole 50a side. Then, by the movement of the movable member 52 to the small-diameter hole 50a side, the seal portion 51 is brought into contact with the contact surface 50c opened by the small-diameter hole 50a, thereby closing the small-diameter hole 50a, so that the ink flow path 46 is in a closed state.

Further, a coil spring 56 that presses the movable member 52 toward the small-diameter hole 50a side is provided between the flange 52a and the support member 53. Therefore, the movable member 52 receives a biasing force toward the small-diameter hole 50a side. That is, the movable member 52 is urged in a direction to close the ink flow path 46.

When a plurality of magnets 48e provided on the below-described rotary member 48 are disposed at positions facing the base end portions of the respective movable members 52, the movable members 52 move toward the magnets 48e against the biasing force of the coil springs 56 by magnetic force. When the movable member 52 moves toward the magnet 48e, the seal portion 51 and the contact surface 50c are separated, and ink flows into the gap between the seal portion 51 and the contact surface 50c, so that the ink flow path 46 is opened. When the magnets 48e of the rotary member 48 are disposed at positions away from the base end portion of the movable member 52, the movable member 52 is moved toward the small-diameter hole 50a by the biasing force of the coil spring 56, and the ink flow path 46 is closed. Here, fig. 12 shows a case where the flow path valve 42 becomes the closed state.

As shown in fig. 9, the rotating member 48 includes a magnet supporting portion 48a having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape and an arm portion 48b extending from the magnet supporting portion 48 a. A rotation shaft 48c is attached to an end of the arm portion 48b as a rotation center, and the rotation shaft 48c rotatably supports the rotation member 48. In the magnet supporting portion 48a, six magnets 48e (see fig. 12) are embedded in correspondence with the movable member 52, and a plate-shaped member 48d of a magnet is provided on an upper portion of the magnets 48 e. When the rotary member 48 is disposed at the position shown in fig. 11, the magnet 48e is disposed to be opposed to the base end portion of each movable member 52 through the film material 55. Thereby, by the rotation of the rotating member 48, the position of each magnet 48e is changed between the position away from the base end portion of the movable member 52 and the position opposing the base end portion, thereby reciprocating the movable member 52.

Further, a biasing spring 48f is provided in the magnet supporting portion 48a of the rotating member 48. As for the biasing spring 48f, one spiral end thereof is fixed to the rotating member 48 and the other spiral end is fixed to the side of the connecting portion 41, biasing the rotating member 48 at the pressing release position shown in fig. 11.

Further, in the connecting portion 41, there is a lever 40 that rotates the rotating member 48. As shown in fig. 8, the lever 40 is disposed at a position closer to the end than the second projection 44b of the connecting portion 41. The control lever 40 includes an actuating piece 40a, a driven piece 40b, and a rotation shaft 40c as a rotation center, wherein the rotation shaft 40c connects and fixes the actuating piece 40a and the driven piece 40 b. The control lever 40 is biased in the rotation start position shown in fig. 8 by a biasing spring not shown in the drawings. The control lever 40 biased at the rotation start position is in a state of being slightly inclined to the vicinity of the end.

The actuating piece 40a is formed in a plate shape and provided with a protrusion 40d at a tip end. The projection 40d is formed to protrude further than the side of the actuating piece 40a, and its tip is in a tapered shape. When the ink cartridge 14 is fixed to the connection portion 41, the lever 40 is rotated clockwise (arrow direction in the drawing) in fig. 8 with the rotation shaft 40c as the rotation center by the contact of the projection 40d with the contact surface 36 of the ink cartridge 14.

The driven piece 40b is formed in a bar shape, and extends with its longitudinal direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the actuating piece 40 a. Thus, the actuating plate 40a is angled approximately 90 from the driven plate 40 b. The driven piece 40b has a bottom end fixed by a rotation shaft 40c, and an end 40e on the top end side penetrates in an oval hole 41a formed in the connecting portion 41 (see fig. 9). Also, the end 40e of the driven piece 40b may be engaged with one side surface of the rotating member 48.

When the ink cartridge 14 is not mounted to the connection portion 41, the lever 40 is biased at the rotation start position by the biasing spring since the projection 40d is not pressed. At this time, as shown in fig. 9, the end 40e of the driven piece 40b is disposed on the side of the rotating member 48 against the elastic force of the biasing spring 48f provided to the rotating member 48. In the present embodiment, the hole is disposed on the right side of the hole 41a in fig. 9. This position is taken as the action position of the end portion 40 e. The end portion 40e disposed at the acting position presses the rotary member 48 toward the ink flow path 46 by pressing one side of the rotary member 48. The position of the rotating member 48 at this time is set as the pressed position.

The respective magnets 48e of the rotary member 48 disposed in the pressed position are disposed to positions apart from the base end portions of the corresponding movable members 52, respectively. Therefore, the movable member 52 of the flow path valve 42 is moved toward the small-diameter hole 50a by the biasing force of the coil spring 56, and the seal portion 51 closes the small-diameter hole 50 a. Thus, when the ink cartridge 14 is not mounted, the ink flow path 46 is closed. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 14 is not mounted, the ink in the ink flow path 46 can be prevented from leaking from the communicating portion 43.

When the ink cartridge 14 is mounted to the connection portion 41, the positioning of the ink cartridge 14 is performed by fitting the first projection 44a and the second projection 44b into the first fitting hole 34 and the second fitting hole 35 of the ink cartridge 14, respectively. Next, the communicating portion 43 and the like are inserted into the supporting portion 30, while the introducing-side communicating portion 45 is inserted into the introducing-side supporting portion 31. At this time, the ink cartridge 14 is pressed into the connection surface 41c side of the connection portion 41, so that the support portion 30 and the introduction-side support portion 31 protruding from the front surface 26c of the housing case 26 are inserted into the connection portion 41 side. Then, the projection 40d comes into contact with the contact surface 36 of the ink cartridge 14, and the projection 40d is pressed toward the side of the connection portion 41. When the projection 40d is pressed, the actuating piece 40a rotates clockwise in fig. 8 about the rotational shaft 40c against the biasing force of the biasing spring, and the driven piece 40b rotates clockwise in fig. 8 with the rotation of the actuating piece 40 a.

Then, as shown in fig. 10, after the ink cartridge 14 is fixed to the connection portion 41, the lever 40 is disposed at the rotation end position. At this time, as shown in fig. 11, the end 40e of the driven piece 40b moves to the opposite side of the rotating member 48 in the hole 41 a. In this case, in the present embodiment, the end portion 40e is located on the left side of the hole 41a in fig. 11. Therefore, the rotary member 48 is rotated by the elastic force of the biasing spring 48f, and is disposed at the pressing release position.

The respective magnets 48e of the rotary member 48 disposed at the pressing release position are disposed at positions opposed to the base end portions of the corresponding movable members 52, respectively. Therefore, the movable member 52 is moved toward the rotating member 48 by the magnetic force of the magnet 48 e. Accordingly, the seal portion 51 and the contact surface 50c are separated, the ink flows into the small-diameter hole 50a, and the flow path is opened. That is, the flow path can be opened by inserting the ink cartridge 14 in one direction.

Further, since the mounted ink cartridge 14 is supported by the support portion 30 connected to the connection portion 41 side, the introduction-side support portion 31, and the contact surface 36, a force acting on the ink cartridge in an oblique direction is reduced, and the ink cartridge is fixed in a stable posture. At this time, no unnecessary force is applied to the communicating portion 43 and the introduction-side communicating portion 45 of the connecting portion 41.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In the first embodiment, a support portion 30 that supports an ink lead-out member 29 of an ink pack 25 is formed on a front surface 26c of an ink cartridge 14 detachably mounted to a printer main body 11. Also, an introduction-side support section 31 for introducing ink into the waste ink containing section 27 is formed at one end side with respect to the support section 30. Further, a contact surface 36 that contacts a lever 40 for opening and closing an ink flow path 46 in response to attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge 14 is formed at an end opposite to the end where the introduction-side support portion 31 is provided. When the ink cartridge 14 is mounted, the contact surface 36 and the lever 40 contact each other, the flow path valve 42 is opened, and the ink flow path 46 is opened. When the ink cartridge 14 is removed, the contact surface 36 and the lever 40 are separated, and the ink flow path 46 is closed.

That is, since the ink cartridge 14 is provided with the contact surface 36 that contacts the control lever 40, the ink flow path 46 can be opened and closed only by attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 14. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 14 is not mounted to the printer main body 11, since the ink flow path 46 is in the closed state, the ink can be prevented from leaking from the communicating portion 43. When the ink cartridge 14 is removed, although ink remains in the ink flow path 46, the flow path valve 42 is closed at this time, so that the evaporation of the ink solvent in the ink flow path 46 can be prevented.

Further, the ink cartridge 14 fixed to the connecting portion 41 is supported by the supporting portion 30, the introduction-side supporting portion 31, and the contact surface 36, and therefore, can be fixed in a stable posture without generating useless force over the entire range of the connecting portion 41. Further, it is also possible to prevent useless force from being exerted on the communicating portion 43 and the introduction-side communicating portion 45 of the connecting portion 41.

(2) In the first embodiment, when the ink cartridge 14 is fixed to the connection portion 41, the connection surface 36 and the introduction-side support portion 31 are made to be at substantially equal heights, thus forming the connection surface 36 and the introduction-side support portion 31. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted, the contact surface 36 is brought into contact with the lever 40 so that the direction of the force for rotating the lever 40 and the direction of the force for inserting the introduction-side communication part 45 into the introduction-side support part 31 are substantially the same. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted, a force is applied only in one direction, so that the mounting can be easily performed.

(3) In the first embodiment, the ink cartridge 14 is provided with the first engagement hole 34 and the second engagement hole 35. Also, these first engaging hole 34 and second engaging hole 35 are formed at positions where the first projection 44a and second projection 44b provided on the connecting portion 41 can be inserted, respectively, when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted, the first engagement hole 34 and the second engagement hole 35 are used to position the ink cartridge with respect to the printer main body 11, and therefore, high-precision positioning is possible. Further, since the second fitting hole 35 is provided in the vicinity of the contact surface 36, the positioning of the contact surface 36 can be accurately performed. Therefore, the contact surface 36 and the control lever 40 can be reliably brought into contact with each other, and the reliability of the opening and closing operation of the flow passage valve 42 can be improved.

(4) In the first embodiment, on the lower surface 26d of the end of the ink cartridge 14 where the contact surface 36 is formed, a substrate accommodating portion 38 is provided that opens on the lower surface 26d side and the front surface 26c side. Also, a circuit board 37 having a semiconductor memory device that stores information related to the ink cartridge 14 is provided on the substrate accommodating portion 38. Accordingly, the printer can acquire information of the ink cartridge 14 when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted, and therefore, management of the ink cartridge 14 or ink can be efficiently performed. Further, since the substrate accommodating portion 38 is in an open state on the lower surface 26d side and the front surface 26c side, the terminal setting portion 41d of the connection portion 41 can be easily inserted.

(5) In the first embodiment, the front surfaces of the support section 30 and the introduction-side support section 31 are made to protrude further than the front surface 26c of the cartridge main body 26 a. Therefore, the communication portion 43 and the introduction-side communication portion 45 can be inserted into the support portion 30 and the introduction-side support portion 31, respectively, so that the connection surface 36 is brought into contact with the projection 40d of the lever 40 after the posture of the ink cartridge 14 is stabilized.

(second embodiment)

Next, a second embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 13 to 17. Further, since the second embodiment is configured by changing only a part of the contact surface 36 and the connection portion 41 of the ink cartridge 14 in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted for the same part. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge 60 of the second embodiment. Further, fig. 14 and 15 are an overall perspective view and a main portion perspective view of the connecting portion 70 of the second embodiment. Fig. 16 is a plan view of the connection portion 70 before the ink cartridge 60 is mounted, and fig. 17 is a plan view of a main portion of the connection portion 70 to which the ink cartridge 60 is mounted.

As shown in fig. 13, six support portions S1 to S6 constituting liquid supply ports are provided on the front surface 61a of the containing case 61 constituting the ink cartridge 60. Further, in the front surface 61a, an introduction-side supporting portion 62 constituting a liquid introduction port is formed on the end portion side of the supporting portion S1 at the right end in fig. 13. Further, in the front surface 61a of the accommodation box 61, a first fitting hole 63 as a positioning hole is formed at a position closer to the end than the introduction-side support portion 62. Further, the front surface 61a of the housing box 61 constitutes a connection surface connected to the printer main body 11 side.

In addition, a second fitting hole 64 as a positioning hole is formed near the supporting portion S6 at the left end in fig. 13 of the front surface 61a of the accommodation box 61. Below the second fitting hole 64 and on the lower surface 61b of the accommodation box 61, a substrate accommodation portion 65 for accommodating the circuit board 37 (see fig. 3) is concavely provided.

Further, a contact face 66 is provided on the front surface 61a of the accommodation box 61 between the support portion S6 located at the left end of the front surface 61a and the support portion S5 disposed adjacently thereto. That is, the contact face 66 is a face between the support portion S6 and the support portion S5 provided adjacent thereto in the front surface 61a of the accommodation box 61.

Next, the connecting portion 70 will be described with reference to fig. 14 to 17. As shown in fig. 14, in the connection portion 70, an introduction-side communication portion 71 is formed on a connection surface 70a of the front surface 61a of the fixed ink cartridge 60. The introduction-side communication portion 71 is inserted into the introduction-side support portion 62 of the ink cartridge 60. The connection surface 70a is formed with first and second projections 72, 73 as positioning projections, and the first and second projections 72, 73 correspond to the first and second engagement holes 63, 64 of the ink cartridge 60, respectively. Also, a terminal setting portion 74 is provided below the second protrusion 73. Here, only a main portion of the connecting portion 70 is shown in fig. 14.

Further, six communication portions R1 to R6 are provided between the first projection 72 and the second projection 73, respectively, in a projecting manner. The respective communication portions R1 to R6 correspond to the respective support portions S1 to S6 of the ink cartridge 60, respectively, and are inserted into the respective support portions S1 to S6 when the ink cartridge 60 is mounted to the connection portion 70. Six lead-out portions 75 are formed at the end of the connection surface 70 a. Each lead-out portion 75 is hollow and communicates with the holes of the communicating portions R1 to R6 through an ink flow path not shown in the figure.

The ink flow paths communicating the communication portions R1 to R6 and the lead-out portions 75 each include a flow path valve 42 (see fig. 12). A turning member 48 and a control lever 80 for opening and closing the flow path valve 42 are mounted on the connection portion 70. The control lever 80 is provided at the right end of the connecting portion 70 in fig. 14.

As shown in fig. 15, the lever 80 is constituted by a shaft portion 81, an actuating piece 82, and a driven piece 83. The shaft portion 81 is constituted by a cylindrical portion 81a and a flat plate portion 81b formed on an end of the cylindrical portion 81 a. The flat plate portion 81b is composed of two disk portions. An actuating piece 82 is connected to the shaft portion 81. The actuating piece 82 is approximately L-shaped, and its curved tip constitutes a contact portion 84. A protrusion 85 is formed at the tip of the contact portion 84.

Further, a driven piece 83 is connected to the shaft portion 81. The driven plate 83 is approximately cylindrical as shown in fig. 16. As shown in fig. 16 and 17, the driven piece 83 is connected to the shaft portion 81 so that the longitudinal direction thereof is at an angle of substantially 90 ° to the longitudinal direction of the actuating piece 82. Further, as shown in fig. 15, a pair of shaft supporting portions 86 for rotatably supporting the shaft portion 81 are provided on the connecting portion 70. As a result, the actuating piece 82 of the lever 80 is disposed in a state in which the longitudinal direction thereof is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 70. Further, the contact portion 84 provided on the tip end of the actuating piece 82 is arranged between the communication portion R6 of the right end (the side of the shaft support portion 86) and the communication portion R5 provided adjacent thereto. Further, the driven piece 83 is disposed on the side opposite to the attachment surface 70 a.

Further, a biasing spring 87 (see fig. 15 and 16) made of a compression spring or the like is attached to the actuator piece 82. When no force is applied to the control lever 80 from the outside, as shown in fig. 16, the biasing spring 87 biases the actuation piece 82 in the direction opposite to the attachment surface 70a of the attachment portion 70, thereby positioning the control lever 80 in the rotation start position. Further, since the lever 80 is disposed at the rotation start position, the driven plate 83 presses one side of the rotating member 48 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 48f (see fig. 9). As a result, the flow passage valve 42 is closed as described above.

If the ink cartridge 60 is inserted into the cartridge accommodating section 13, the lever 80 is rotated by the contact of the contact surface 66 and the protrusion 85 of the lever 80. Specifically, as shown in fig. 17, the projection 85 of the control lever 80 is in contact with the contact surface 66 of the accommodation box 61. Further, if the ink cartridge 60 is further pressed into the side of the connection portion 70, the projection 85 of the lever 80 is pressed into the side of the connection surface 70 a. When the projection 85 is pressed in, the actuator piece 82 rotates in the arrow direction in fig. 15 and 16 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 87. Further, the driven piece 83 is rotated in the arrow direction in fig. 16 by the rotation of the shaft portion 81. At this time, since the actuating piece 82 is relatively long, the lever 80 can be rotated with a small pressure.

If the ink cartridge 60 moves to the side of the connection portion 70, the first and second protrusions 72, 73 are inserted into the first and second fitting holes 63, 64 of the ink cartridge 60. Next, the communication portions R1 to R6 and the introduction-side communication portion 71, which are shorter in the ink cartridge insertion direction than the first and second protrusions 72, 73 and have the same length, are inserted into the support portions S1 to S6 and the introduction-side support portion 62 of the ink cartridge 60, respectively, and then the protrusion 85 of the lever 80 is brought into contact with the contact surface 66 of the ink cartridge. Thereby, the lever 80 is disposed to the rotation end position, and a state in which the driven piece 83 does not press the rotating member 48 is constituted (see fig. 11). As a result, the flow path valve 42 is opened as described above, and the ink in the ink cartridge 60 can be discharged from the discharge portion 75 through the communication portions R1 to R6.

Thus, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects (3) to (5) described in the first embodiment, the following effect can be obtained.

(6) In the second embodiment, six support portions S1 to S6 are provided at the front surface 61a of the ink cartridge 60. Also, a contact surface 66 is provided between the supporting portion S6 and the supporting portion S5 in the vicinity thereof, the contact surface 66 being in contact with the lever 80 when the ink cartridge 60 is mounted on the connecting portion 70, wherein the supporting portion S6 is disposed on the side of the rotational axis (the shaft portion 81) of the lever 80. That is, since the position of the contact surface 66 is provided between the support portions S6, S5, rather than at the end of the ink cartridge 60, the lever 80 having the longer actuating piece 82 can also be contacted. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 16 is pushed in, the control lever 80 can be rotated with a small pressure, and the flow path valve 42 can be opened. When the ink cartridge 60 is removed, the contact surface 66 and the lever 80 are separated, so that the flow path valve 42 can be closed. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 60 is not mounted to the printer main body 11, ink can be prevented from leaking from the respective communicating portions R1 to R6. Further, when the ink cartridge 60 is removed, although ink remains in the ink flow path 46 in the connecting portion 70, since the flow path valve 42 is in the closed state at this time, volatilization of the ink solvent in the ink flow path 46 can be prevented. Further, by making the contact surface 66 smooth rather than concave-convex, the reliability of the turning operation of the lever 80 can be improved.

The present embodiment may be modified as follows.

In the above embodiments, the ink cartridge accommodating section 13 is provided in the frame 12, but may be provided in other positions. For example, the outer case may be mounted at a position other than the inner frame of the outer case, or may be mounted on the outer side of the outer case. Further, the ink cartridge accommodating section 13 may also be provided such that the cover portion 26b of the ink cartridge 14 is mounted in the vertical direction.

In the second embodiment, the contact surface 66 is provided between the support portion S6 provided on the endmost portion in the accommodation box 61 and the support portion S5 in the vicinity thereof. In addition, even if contact surfaces are provided between the other support portions S1 to S5, the liquid flow path can be opened and closed.

In the second embodiment, the substrate accommodating portion 65 may be provided at a position other than below the second fitting hole 64 of the lower surface 61b of the accommodating case 61, for example, a position below the contact surface 66.

In the above embodiments, although the front surfaces of the support sections 30, S1 to S6 and the introduction-side support sections 31, 62 are made to protrude further than the front surfaces 26c, 61a of the storage boxes 26, 61, the front surfaces of the support sections 30, S1 to S6 may be made to be the same height as the front surfaces 26c, 61 a.

In the above embodiment, a member that presses, for example, from the surface opposite to the connection surface toward the connection surface in order to maintain the connected state with the ink cartridge may be provided, or an engagement concave portion K that engages with a member that fixes the ink cartridge in the connected state may be provided as shown in fig. 18. In this case, if the above-mentioned members or portions are provided on the opposite side walls intersecting the joint plane, respectively, and are located at positions close to the liquid introduction port and the contact plane, respectively, and are spaced from the joint plane by the same distance, balanced fixation can be achieved also after insertion.

In the above embodiments, the printer that discharges ink has been described as the liquid ejecting apparatus, but another liquid ejecting apparatus may be used. Examples of the liquid ejecting apparatus include a printing apparatus such as a facsimile machine or a copying machine, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid such as an electrode material or a coloring material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL display, a surface-emitting display, and the like, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a biological organic material used for manufacturing a biochip, and a sample ejecting apparatus as a precision pipette. Further, the fluid (liquid) is not limited to ink, and other fluids may be applied.

Claims (15)

1. A liquid container that contains liquid therein and is detachably attached to a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid container comprising:

a liquid supply port for supplying the liquid to the outside, the liquid supply port being provided on a connection face; and

a contact surface that opens a flow path valve provided on the liquid ejecting apparatus by contacting a portion of the flow path valve, the contact surface being located on the connection surface.

2. A fluid container according to claim 1,

a plurality of the liquid supply ports are formed in the liquid container,

the contact surface is provided between one of the plurality of liquid supply ports and one of the liquid supply ports provided adjacent thereto.

3. Liquid container according to claim 1 or 2,

the liquid supply port is formed so that a communication portion formed on the liquid ejecting apparatus can be inserted therein,

the contact surface is a surface perpendicular to a direction in which the communication portion is inserted into the liquid supply port.

4. A liquid container according to claim 1,

the front surface of the liquid supply port protrudes from the contact surface.

5. A liquid container which contains a liquid therein and is detachably attached to a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid container comprising,

a liquid supply port into which a communication portion provided on the liquid ejecting apparatus is insertable, the liquid supply port being located on a connection face;

a liquid introduction port that can receive an introduction communicating portion provided on the liquid ejecting apparatus and that is located at one end portion of the connection face with respect to a position where the liquid supply port is formed;

a contact surface that opens a flow path valve provided on the liquid ejecting apparatus by contacting a part of the flow path valve, the contact surface being located at the other end of the connection surface such that the liquid supply port is located between the liquid introduction port and the contact surface.

6. A fluid container according to claim 5,

a plurality of the liquid supply ports are arranged on the connection surface;

the liquid inlet and the contact surface are disposed on both sides of the liquid supply port arranged in line.

7. A fluid container according to claim 5,

a plurality of the liquid supply ports are arranged on the connection surface;

the liquid inlet is arranged outside the liquid supply ports arranged in line; and is

The contact surface is disposed in the vicinity of the liquid supply port on the opposite side of the liquid introduction port.

8. A liquid receptacle according to any of claims 5 to 7,

the contact surface and the liquid introduction port are formed at positions where they are at the same height when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus.

9. A fluid container according to claim 5,

the front surface of the liquid supply port or the liquid introduction port protrudes from the contact surface.

10. The liquid container according to claim 1 or 5, further comprising,

positioning holes formed on the connection surface for respectively engaging with positioning boss portions provided on the liquid ejecting apparatus, the positioning holes being formed in the vicinity of the contact surface.

11. The liquid container according to claim 1 or 5, further comprising,

a circuit board disposed adjacent the contact surface, the circuit board having a storage device and a contact, the contact being connected to a terminal disposed on the liquid ejection device when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejection device.

12. The liquid container according to claim 11, further comprising,

a substrate accommodating portion for accommodating the circuit board, the substrate accommodating portion being located on a face intersecting the connection face, wherein,

the substrate accommodating portion is open on the side of the connection surface and on the side of a surface intersecting the connection surface, and

the contact of the circuit board provided in the substrate accommodating portion is located on a surface side intersecting the connection surface.

13. The liquid container according to claim 12,

the circuit board is located below the contact surface of the liquid container when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus.

14. Liquid container according to claim 13,

the storage device stores information related to the liquid container.

15. The liquid container according to claim 1 or 5, further comprising:

a contact disposed proximate to the contact surface, wherein the contact is connected to a terminal disposed on the liquid ejection device when the liquid container is mounted on the liquid ejection device.